left and right hand hitting each other

[eric_B]

Sometimes my left hand hits my right (or vice versa) when I'm striking several out of beat snare hits while my right hand plays simple 8th on the hihat. I can hold my left hand lower, but than the volume is also lower (like ghost notes). Is this lack of good technique? What do you do to prevent this? For a moment stop playing 8ths on the hihat? Or do you have some other technique?

BTW: I don't have this when hitting the snare on 2 and 4, because then I lift my right hand a little higher to accent the note.

[SuperPuss]

What hats are you using? Have you considered a mid mounted hihat setup?
I converted to mid mounted and love it. Solved the knuckle whack problem nicely.

[John.b]

Have you got your hihat too low mate ?

Yea, and what DR said.

[eric_B]

Have you considered a mid mounted hihat setup?
I converted to mid mounted and love it. Solved the knuckle whack problem nicely.

Yes, I know you did. But for now I want to try solving it by improving my technique, not avoiding it.

The answer is quite simple, you need to "train" or build-up the smaller muscle groups in your weaker limb in order to perform those accents. You need to get more power out of less effort if you know what I mean: less forearm, more wrist and even more fingers!

OK, so I'll try to keep the arm more still and 'squeeze' the notes with the fingers. I'll go work on that and thanks for the links to the books and DVD's, they look worth diving into.

Have you got your hihat too low mate ?

Well, take a look at the picture and you tell me: is this too low?

Edit: by the way, other comments about the setup are also welcome!

[Greenbutmean]

Maybe you need more snare real estate? PD-125 here you come!

[Michael Render]

The height looks fine. Work on your technique. You shouldn't have to lift the left hand too high to get a powerful stroke. Play your hand low enough so the sticks don't hit each other, then work on getting the left hand more solid. Use the fingers. It will all come together.

[ShaggyRS6]

Ooo God yeah, I have whacked my thumbs lately a few times. God that hurts.

The only downfall of the TD9 IMO is that crappy Hi Hat

[John.b]

Well, take a look at the picture and you tell me: is this too low?

Edit: by the way, other comments about the setup are also welcome!

Nope, looks OK to me mate.

Personally I like to keep the throne, snare and first rack tom in-line but thats what I'm use to.

[eric_B]

Ooo God yeah, I have whacked my thumbs lately a few times. God that hurts.

The only downfall of the TD9 IMO is that crappy Hi Hat

Well, I must admit that at day 2nd of playing I was already thinking of a VH-11. But all in time, first I want to try to handle the CY-5.

Nope, looks OK to me mate.

Personally I like to keep the throne, snare and first rack tom in-line but thats what I'm use to.

Well, I tried before putting the snare more to the right, but kept hitting my wrist (instead of my hand).

I thought that too - but the more I practce on it the more I'm starting to like it

I set my CY-5 up at a slight angle towards me - seems to have worked wonders.

Hmm, could try that.


But I watched my left hand while playing and noticed I did raise it quite a bit when hitting the snare notes. So I tried keeping it low with a little more power and now it's a lot better. I never realised how much technique was involved before playing drums myself. I thought you only had to hit a snare, tom or kick at the right time. Quite an understatement!

[Colquhoun]

I actually think your hihat is too close to your snare. I had the same problem on the TD9SX.
Do this to find out...sit comfortably and hold the sticks as you would if playing the snare and hihat. Where do they cross? If they cross at the sticks, your hihat is WAY too far to the right on the rack. If the crossing is at the hands, the hithat is still too far to the right. Move the hihat to the left until you cross at the wrists, because that is where the least amount of up and down is going on (or should be).

To get my hands to cross at the wrists on the MDS9 rack, I actually had to switch location of the module and the hihat. Now that the hat is way to the left, I NEVER hit sticks or hands while playing crossed over. Worth a try....

[Doramuboy]

You should also raise your right hand somewhat to make room for your left hand as it comes up. So if you are playing a standard 4/4 beat with the snare on 2 and 4, and you're counting 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, raise your left and right hands together on the "1 and" and lower them together on the 2.

This is not a hard and fast rule and won't work in all types of playing but that's how I do it especially in Rock drumming, otherwise it's impossible to get a decent snare attack.

I hope this helps

[LordLucan]

I'd have to agree with Superpuss, having the hi-hat in the middle works really well. I only put it there because I was rearranging my kit to position the toms around the snare, and I needed to move some weight off the left hand side to improve balance, but I don't have to worry about whacking my hand with the stick anymore...

[Sabre]

Superpuss has a little different drumming style, and the mid setup works for her. I tried it and can't get the rest of my rig comfortable for me.

I agree with Colquhoun. Just rotate that whole thing a little bit clockwise so it's a little farther outboard, and a little farther from the snare. If it was me I'd raise it up an inch or two as well, but thats really personal preference. I still clash from time to time, but it's all a trial and error thing until you get comfortable and your technique evolves.

['lectric drumma]

As far as the height goes... Hi-hat and snare seem to be OK to me, but I'd lower the toms, and especially the floor tom. My toms are at an angle, and on my e-kit, the bottom (not the underside of the tom of course) of my 1st tom is only 5 cm higher than the topside of my snare drum. And it even used to be a bit lower... My floor toms are about the same height as my snare... Heck, whatever feels comfortable for you I guess?


Stijn

[eric_B]

Thanks for the input: I'll try to rearrange the kit and see what fits me best. After all, aside from the 'general rule', I guess it's also a matter of preference and a persons posture and flexibility.